Wicked Scales
by TaylaNovak
Summary: What if when Cora gave up her baby, she was not taken to Oz or found by the Woodcutter and his wife, but by a lonely Dragon Queen who doesn't mind a little wickedness? Rating may change later.
1. Chapter 1

What if when Cora gave up her baby, she was not taken to Oz or found by the Woodcutter and his wife, but by a lonely Dragon Queen who doesn't mind a little wickedness?

Usual disclaimers. ..

It had been years since another soul graced her halls of stone, and many more since she ventured out of them to the lands she claimed below. Maleficent looked up at the tall trees around her, listening to the multitude of sounds surrounding her. She removed her horned helmet and let it fall to the ground. The wind in her hair felt good. The sun on her skin tickled. But it reminded her of one small thing. She was alone. It'd been so long since she heard another voice, felt another's touch. It had been at least a couple decades since the Dragon Queen had even seen another's face. Yes indeed, she was very alone. Behind her halls of stone, no one had dared to venture. Still, they could not compare to those built around her heart, cracked and broken by the betrayal of a man she believed had loved her. Stefan had broken her heart, made her believe that he actually cared about her and still had chosen to be with Briar Rose the moment she showed up and tossed the dragon aside, pretending that their love had never existed. Ever since, Maleficent had tried to forget, to protect herself from such heartache and misery. She never wanted to feel that pain again.

Maleficent walked far more than her grounds, simply enjoying the feel of the soft grass beneath her feet and sweet breeze in the air. Moments like these served to remind her why she had remained of this world for so long. The people, the humans made her sick. She hated them with a passion. Stefan's greed had tainted their existence for her. But the plants, the animals, they were beautiful. They were not greedy and they didn't break hearts.

Maleficent paused as she heard the sound of crying. A baby's cry. An infant alone in the woods made no sense to her. She walked forward, picking up the hem of her dress to cross the distance more easily. She found a woman bent over a little basket, talking quietly to the babe. But a moment later, she turned and ran off.

The dragon hissed at the blatant disregard for a child's life and stepped out into the open, looking down at the baby girl. She looked in the direction of the mother and saw that she'd stopped and looked back, but she paled at the sight of the Dragon Queen and took off running. The wind was picking up and Mal lifted her head at the sight of the cyclone closing in.

"That's a bit of a dilemma, isn't it, Little One?" Mal said.

The baby laughed. She was wrapped in a green blanket and was terribly cute. Mal picked up the basket and poofed back to her castle to place her on the table. It was a human child, but a child nonetheless, the symbol of innocence, and yet it was already touched by the cruel and heartless hand of man.

"I'm sorry for your mother. She seems fairly stupid." Mal said. The baby made a cooing noise and reached for her. "I am no mother. Perhaps I can find you someone in my kingdom to care for you." The dragon tilted her head, feeling something powerful start to change within her. "First you'll need a name. Green is your color. What do you think of Zelena?" It was the name for green in an old language. The little girl smiled and she smiled as well. "Zelena it is."

Maleficent alone had seen kingdoms rise from nothing and crumble back into dust. She'd seen lives being born and saw the last moments of their deaths. For many years, she was alone. Truly the last of her kind. A child of her own was something she was very unlikely to have. But this little one...needed her.

Xxxxxxxxx

5 years later…

"Zelena, dear, where are you?" Mal called into her study. There was no reply. "Zelena?" Momentary panic set in and Mal ran into the study, expecting to find her little jade, her little jewel, sitting and trying to read a book like she usually was. She could read well, but certainly not the complicated novels that Mal had stored in her study. She let out a whimper of fear and raced into her bedroom, sighing with relief when she heard Zelena's little voice. She peeked in and smiled brightly at seeing Zelena in front of the mirror with Mal's horned helmet on her head. She was holding the dragon's staff, awkwardly since it was so heavy but she was so beautiful, Mal could only watch and smile as she pretended to fight off some imaginary foe.

"The Dragon Queen shall win with one final shot." Zelena pointed the staff at the mirror. There was an explosion of light and she felt backwards, the mirror shattering around her. "Mommy!" Mal quickly stepped into the room and helped the girl to her feet. "I didn't mean to do it."

"I know. You have magic, dear. It's not your fault."

"Like you?"

"Sort of."

Zelena let out a relieved sigh and she went to go pick up Mal's helmet and staff to give back to her. "I'm sorry for playing with your stuff."

Mal waved her hand, fixing the mirror and took the helmet to place back on the red headed little girl's head. "You make a fine Dragon Queen." She picked up her staff. "How would you like for me to teach you all sorts of magic?"

"Really?" Zelena looked from under the helmet that was far too big for her. "You will? You promise?"

"I promise. Why don't we go now?"

"Yes! I'm gonna learn magic!" Zelena ran out of the room, screaming happily.

Mal shook her head with a smile.

Xxxxxxxxx

"Mommy, why aren't there any more people in the kingdom?" Zelena asked as Mal gently brushed her hair after a bath.

"There are, down below."

"Can I go meet them?"

Mal faltered. She wanted to say no, but she didn't want Zelena to know the pain of loneliness as she had. That was a fate she would not wish upon anyone. "There are people in this world, but there are wolves too. Bad people. I don't want you to meet those people."

"Did you meet a wolf, Mommy?"

"Yes. All I've seen are wolves."

"Well if that's all you've seen so far, then that's all you'll want to see. All people aren't wolves. You're not a wolf. I'm not a wolf."

"We are dragons. Wolves and humans are beneath us." Mal said firmly, but she saw the fall of Zelena's shoulders and it stung her. She just wanted her little girl to be happy and it made her sick when she wasn't. "You should get into bed." Zelena hopped down to obey and snuggled up beneath the sheets. "Goodnight, my little flame."

"Goodnight, Mommy." Zelena smiled as Mal kissed her forehead and left the room. She sighed. Zelena deserved more than being locked in a castle all her life, despite how much she wanted to. She growled as she paced back and forth, debating whether to give in to her daughter's whim or just ignore it. "Zelena!" The door flew open a moment later to reveal her child in her green night dress.

"Yeah, Mommy."

"Are you really sure about this?"

"Yes. I want some friends. Please?"

Mal sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Fine, but it will take time to open the kingdom."

"I'm 5. I have plenty of time."

"Then we should get to work." Mal jerked her head. "Come on."

"Can we redecorate the castle too?" Zelena asked, excitedly bounding behind her.

"Don't push it. What is wrong with my decorating style?"

"Nothing, you know you're the greatest mom in the world but we could add in some more green."

Maleficent smiled. She was supposed to be a villain, but to someone she was the greatest mom in the world. It made her heart ache just from the sound of it. "I'll think about it." She and Zelena spent the entire night, changing the color and furnishings of her castle so that it was twice as grand and extravagant. When morning came, her new throne room, no longer empty and desolate with a single throne, but was flooded with light through new, bright windows and reflected off her new chandeliers. There were new rugs, new sculptures and tapestries. She'd sent word to her guards to open the roads and sent her valets to collect fine silks and glass and many other things from across the land. She didn't even remember falling asleep on a new couch, curled up with her little one. Sleep for Zelena never lasted long and she was soon up again, bouncing excitedly as she followed Mal down into the villages for the first time.

It was a dreary sight. The small homes were primitive and the gardens half dead. The people trudged about with bent backs and weary faces. The Forbidden kingdom was a dark place, in the shadow of a mountain with an even greater shadow hanging over it. Mal walked forward, Zelena walking behind her, holding on to her dress. The people noticed her presence and froze. The dragon spoke no words as she raised her hands and unleashed her magic, healing her kingdom, restoring the rich farmlands and making them flourish with more fruits and vegetables than could be eaten, the houses became bigger and made with better materials, gold was left on nightstands and tables, horses were conjured, small puppies and kittens for children. The people received new clothes, new furniture...a better life. When all was said and done, Mal had to take a seat or risk falling down.

"You did it, Mommy." Zelena smiled, watching the people laugh and hug one another as their fortunes were lifted.

"No, my dear." Maleficent whispered, looking fondly at her child. "This is all you. All of this is because of you and your beautiful little heart." She smiled as Zelena looked around. "It is but a start." Only a start. Mal took her daughter on a walk through the kingdom, proudly showing off her vast domain. Zelena held onto her dress, taking in everything with wide eyes. When they came upon a group of small children around her age she let go of Mal's dress and nervously approached them. Mal leaned on her staff, watching from a good distance in case her little one wanted her assistance. Suddenly one of the children picked up a hunk of mud and flung it at Zelena, ruining her pretty green dress. Maleficent scowled and started to shift in order to make sure these kids knew whose daughter they were dealing with. To her surprise, Zelena waved her hand, showering the other children in mud. Mal's eyebrows rose, almost reaching her hairline as she watched them fling mud back and forth like...children. A smile touched her lips and she glanced up, noticing the time of day. Something wet landed on her cheek and she jumped slightly, a scowl replacing her smile as she looked down at the children, every single one cowering, even Zelena. Maleficent wiped the mud off her cheek and struck the ground with her staff causing the earth to rumble. Mud at the children's feet shot upwards, hitting each one in the face. She smirked when they started laughing and resumed their game. After a while Mal called Zelena back to her and the laughing little girl came back to her side.

"I had so much fun, Mommy." Zelena said.

"Well we must cut your tour short for the day so you can go home and scrub away all that mud."

"Okay. Can we come back tomorrow?"

"Yes, my little one. And every day afterwards if you so desired." She smiled when Zelena let out a yell of happiness. It would take almost 2 hours to get her cleaned up. It took an hour alone to wash her hair and Mal had changed the bathwater twice. "Never again are you going to be having mud fights." Maleficent said, using a wet cloth to wipe her face. A squeaky clean redhead was sitting in front of her vanity, frizzy red hair everywhere and a smile on her face. She was talking a mile a minute about her new friends. Mal let out a content sigh and used one of her brushes to gently comb away the tangles in Zelena's hair. Her little jade was happy and that was all she wanted.

The next morning Maleficent took Zelena to show her the rest of the kingdom. Her little girl was fascinated by any and everything. They were exploring the western woods when Zelena found a tiny animal lying in the dirt. It was a little monkey with wings. The dragon had assumed the breed had become extinct. She didn't tell Zelena that she was the one who hunted them to that point. Besides, Zelena's attention had been completely consumed. The little monkey became her new pet. She named him Chistery, and even though Maleficent would've liked nothing better than to roast him over an open fire, she wouldn't dare. Zelena was happy, so she was happy. For Zelena's birthday that year Maleficent decided to have a coronation. She threw a kingdom wide party and announced Zelena as her new heir, also giving her little one the gift of a little black unicorn.

While Zelena was happy, Maleficent couldn't help but wonder just who Zelena's birth parents were. If she had not seen Zelena's mother with her own eyes she would've been confused as to if Zelena was even human. Her magic was incredibly powerful for one so young and she spent at least 2 hours every day with Mal practicing her talent. It was one day that Mal decided her child needed to learn a crucial lesson. She ordered one of her valets to bring some rabbits into her study. When a 6 year old Zelena walked in she was instantly curious. "What's this, Mommy?"

"Do you like rabbits, Zelena?" Maleficent asked, picking one up by its scruff and holding it in the air.

"Not really. Why?"

Mal reached into the rabbit's chest and pulled out its tiny heart. "Do you see this, Zelena?" Her daughter nodded. "This is a heart, imbued with magic. See how the rabbit remains unharmed?" She nodded again. "You have the power to rip any heart out of any chest. Human or animal. Having this heart gives you control over the owner. You can command them, speak through them, bind them...kill them. Try it." she instructed. Zelena was nervous as she obeyed her command. "I wanted to show you this because there are those in this world who would love to possess a heart such as yours. And if you should ever find yourself in a situation that is so dire that you feel you must, do not hesitate to rip out the heart of your enemy and crush it." She crushed the heart and the rabbit went still. "Do you understand?"

Zelena nodded. "Yes Mommy." She crushed the rabbit's heart and watched in fascination as it turned to ash in the palm of her hand. "It's just a rabbit."

"It won't always be just a rabbit." Mal cautioned her.

"But we're dragons. Anything else is beneath us."

Maleficent smirked. "You are powerful, Zelena. I won't lie. I didn't want to teach you magic because of the fear of what you could do. But then I thought about what would happen if you weren't taught and your magic grew stronger as you grew older." Zelena listened to her words carefully. "I know that you will do great things one day, my love. But you must be wary of your power until I can teach you to hone it."

Zelena looked down at her own hands, as though they were dirty. "I don't want to hurt people."

Mal picked her up and carried her out of the vault. "Perhaps you won't." She said. "But my dear, you are not a normal little girl."

"I'm a dragon." Zelena said.

"You're absolutely right. You are powerful and smart and beautiful." She carried Zelena to a nearby balcony and gestured to the vast kingdom below. "All of this belongs to you, Zelena. All of it. Every inch, every tree, every blade of grass. You are my daughter. And you will always be." A wide grin burst onto Zelena's face and she kissed Mal's cheek.

"You're the best mommy ever, Mommy."

"And you're best daughter."

/

Cora watched through the mirror with curious eyes. The dragon had taken up her lost child after all. Zelena, was her name. She watched as the dragon gave the little girl a ride on her back and played hide and seek in the massive castle with her. She frowned. That child was a secret that was meant to die years ago. Only through getting rid of her did Cora receive her new nobility. She could destroy everything if she really knew she was.

"Mommy- um, Mother." Little Regina said as she walked into her mother's bedroom. She held up a little picture she had drawn, but Cora hardly cared about a little picture. Her thoughts were on her lost daughter who was the new heir of a kingdom that dwarfed any other in the Enchanted Forest. When Zelena got older, she could become a threat to not just Cora but Regina as well. Cora rose to her feet, sweeping past her daughter and made her way into her vault. She found an old tome and opened it to a list. A very specific list of people she could call upon to get rid of her little problem. She'd worked too hard to get to where she was to let some wannabe dragon destroy everything. Even if she was her own daughter… Now, let's see, what kind of assassin should she hire?

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Read and Review please.

This'll probably be a short and sweet fic. It's an idea that just wouldn't leave until I wrote some of it down. Let me know what you guys think.


	2. Chapter 2

Zelena and her friends were playing in one of the marble pools Maleficent had built for them when she noticed the presence of another. Someone who shouldn't be within her domain. She remained where she was, relaxing in the shade, but slowly turned her head, taking in everything in her surroundings, studying everything in the vicinity, analyzing every possible threat to her little one. The fire in her belly started to boil with tension. She couldn't find anything amiss and ultimately dismissed the feeling until she saw a tentacle move in the water. She stood up and teleported to the pool, grabbing the tentacle and yanking it out.

"What the hell, Mal?" Ursula demanded.

Maleficent rolled her eyes. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Trying to sneak up on the little fish." she gestured with a smile at Zelena, who had just noticed her presence and came running for a hug from the sea witch. "Hello Z."

"Hi, Ursula. Where's Cruella?" Zelena looked around excitedly.

"She's on her way." Ursula promised, tickling her neck with a tentacle. She snatched her other one out of Mal's hand and tickled her neck as well. Mal growled at her and she stopped with a giggle. "Will we be having singing lessons today?"

"Yes!" Zelena quickly climbed out of the pool and took each of their hands. "Let's go." She waved good bye to her friends before pulling them towards the castle. Mal smirked and teleported them inside, magically drying them off and replacing Zelena's swim clothes with breeches and one of her favorite green shirts. Ursula could not sing, although she longed to do so. Teaching Zelena had begun a year ago when Zelena asked her to sing and she couldn't. So Mal's little witch decided she would sing for Ursula. The problem was, Zelena was still so young and she could sing, but it was a talent she would have to hone. That didn't stop her. Nothing seemed to stop her. Maleficent took a seat near the window and a smile forced its way onto her lips as she watched and listened to her little one. Zelena stood at the front room with Ursula in front of her, giving instruction as she sang her favorite song. True Colors. Only a few minutes into her lesson the doors of the study burst open and in walked none other than the last Queen of Darkness, along with two rottweilers who started howling along with Zelena's singing.

"I need new friends." The dragon muttered to herself as Cruella DeVil made her way over to greet a happy Zelena and an annoyed Ursula.

"Mal, dahling, how are you?" Cruella grinned. She looked around. "Your castle doesn't look as ghastly anymore."

"Just fine." Mal replied. "Now shut up so Zelena can continue with her lesson." Zelena giggled before turning her attention back to Ursula. Her voice was a bit scratchy at first but it soon smoothed out.

"Why'd you call us here?" Cruella took a seat next to Mal as she asked.

"I want you to find out all you can on Zelena's mother. I've a strange feeling that my little one is in danger."

"How?"

"Well, she was meant to die and her mother saw me take her. I announced that she was alive at the coronation. It may have been a mistake." Mal replied softly. She met Zelena's eyes and smiled, making Zelena smile as well. "If anyone is threatening Zelena then I want to know who so I can kill them and end this threat."

"What if Mommy Dearest just feels like she made a mistake." Cruella suggested.

"Zelena is **my** daughter and **no one** will take her from me."

Cruella smirked at her fury. "Good on you dragon. Mummy Mal is a force to be reckoned with. I'll return in a week and tell you what I know." She stood up. "Horace, Jasper, come along." The dogs returned to her side as she strutted out and Mal turned back to Zelena.

"Mommy, is everything okay?"

"Yes, my dear." Mal said quickly. "Now let me hear that beautiful voice of yours again." Zelena nodded with a wide grin and turned back to singing, now a bit nervous with Mal's attention on her but she evened out. After the lesson it was getting late and Mal ordered the servants to prepare dinner. It consisted of grilled fish, some smoked vegetables and baked bread. Zelena entered the dining room with Chistery sitting on her shoulder and Mal immediately growled.

"Please, Mommy. We won't make a mess." Zelena pleaded, stroking the little monkey. "I promise." She flashed those baby blues of hers and Mal nearly rolled her eyes.

Mal sighed. "Fine. But if you do make a mess then you'll clean it up and go straight to your room." Zelena nodded quickly, already starting to smile as she skipped to the table and sat down.

"You're such a softie." Ursula said, taking a seat.

"It's her fault." Mal replied, taking her seat at the head of the table.

"No, it's not." Zelena said. "You're just really nice. Even when you don't want to be."

"I prefer to be feared."

"But you're so nice and warm and soft. You should be loved, Mommy."

Maleficent rolled her eyes. Zelena was indeed breaking down all the walls she had built around her heart and her mind, steadily turning her into a soft little teddy bear. She was trying hard to maintain her indifferent, haughty nature, but it was a struggle with a kind hearted little girl believing in her. Zelena had changed so much of her, changed so much of her kingdom. Little by little Maleficent found herself becoming less of the Dragon Queen and the Evilest of Them All, and becoming more of...Maleficent. Before the heartbreak, before the loss of innocence. It was probably the first time in a long time that Mal felt truly happy. And it was all because the little redhead currently stuffing her face. "Manners, Zelena. You're a princess, remember?"

"Oh, right. Sorry." She whispered. Maleficent didn't want her eating daintily in the way that both of them considered annoying, but she at least wanted her to chew her food before shoving another forkful in her mouth. A dragon was always elegant and a little etiquette wouldn't hurt. She returned to her food and Zelena started eating much better and kept sneaking Chistery some of the vegetables and bread. After dinner Mal bent down and Zelena hopped onto her back with a gleeful laugh and Mal laughed as she carried her little girl to bed. Mal once again brushed out any kinks in Zelena's thick, red hair and tucked her in. "Goodnight, Mommy."

"Good night, my little jewel. Sweet dreams."

"Sweet dreams. I hope you dream about flying and catching deer." Zelena said, pulling the sheets up to her chin. Mal lit the fireplace with a well placed fireball.

"And I hope you dream about singing and flying with Chistery." Mal replied with a smile. Zelena giggled.

"Mommy, can I learn to fight like you?"

"We will address that tomorrow. Go to bed." Mal gave her a kiss on the forehead and leaned down to accept one on hers. She finally departed and went to her bedroom where Ursula was already waiting. Mal gave her instructions and the sea witch departed as well to join Cruella. Identifying Zelena's mother was the best way to finding out if she was a threat. The dragon had looked through her own memories in order to find the image to pass along and now all she had to do was wait for information.

The next morning Mal waited in one of the empty rooms in the castle, the massive windows nearby letting light flow into the vast room. A table was next to her, covered with weapons. Zelena and Chistery joined her a few minutes later.

"You wanted to learn to fight. I think it is a good idea, honestly. One day you might not have magic at your disposal and I do want you to be able to defend yourself. You're a dragon after all." She smirked at Zelena's proud grin and the way she lifted her chin and puffed out her chest. "Now, my love, choose your weapon."

"I want the staff like you." Zelena said.

"The staff is too heavy and you are too small right now."

Zelena nodded and looked at all the weapons. "I want the spear. Ooh, no, the axe."

"Why not both?" Mal picked up both and placed them on the floor next to Zelena. Zelena tried to pick them up but they were far too heavy, and Mal knew this. "Look over there." she gestured to the target on the wall. "On the day that you can throw that spear and hit that target, then I will teach you to use it." She made a wooden figure appear across the room as well. "When you can snap that dummy in half with that axe, then I will teach you to use it."

"But that will take forever!" Zelena exclaimed.

"No, it won't." Mal assured her. "If you keep trying, it won't. Until then, let **me** be your spear and your axe. I will always defend you, my dear. Until the day you are strong enough to defend yourself, I will be your defense. Agreed?"

Zelena thought for a moment. "Okay. Can you…" She gestured to the weapons. Mal smirked as she picked up the spear and launched it with ease, hitting the target dead in the center. She grabbed the axe's handle and dragged it to the dummy, giving it a mighty heave to crack the dummy in half. Zelena cheered and ducked as she launched the axe at the table, shattering it. Her daughter cheered again and went to take the spear out of the wall. She struggled until Mal magically made it pop free. "I did it! Now i have to throw it."

"Be careful." Mal cautioned her. Zelena struggled to pick up the heavy piece of wood. In the end she grew tired of trying and decided to play hide and go seek. It was how they spent their time when Zelena wasn't taking lessons or Mal wasn't patrolling. Zelena was always coming up with little games and fun activities for them to do and Mal even threw in some suggestions of her own. It was a relaxed life, and although Mal did spend time teaching Zelena to read, write and act like a princess, it wasn't at the top of her list. She just wanted Zelena to enjoy life and she wanted to enjoy life with Zelena. She was the first person Mal had let into her heart and she would cherish this bond for as long as possible.

Unfortunately, someone wanted to end that bond and Zelena's life because not a week later an assassination attempt was made on the young adopted princess. Maleficent had been walking behind Zelena, watching with a fond smile as she played with the falling leaves by magically throwing them back into the air. She felt the shadow before it arrived.

"Zelena, dive!" she commanded. Zelena hit the ground and covered her head as the specter soared over her hand, taking hold of her shadow. He lifted the little girl off the ground in attempt to rip away her shadow itself. Maleficent, enraged and livid at the attack, let out a barrage of fire breath that forced the shadow to retreat and regroup. She placed herself over Zelena and made a protective shield appeared over her. She readied her staff and ran to meet the shadow as it dove again. She released a flurry of magic and waited with a scowl for it to come closer. Fire exploded from her hands and her eyes glowed as an inferno sprang up around them, igniting both the shadow and the forest around them.

"Mommy?" Zelena called after the smoke had cleared. She pushed against Mal's shield but it wouldn't come undone. The Shadow wasn't the only assassin sent. She screamed as a group of men came running out of the woods, all of them brandishing some kind of weapon, from a plow to a sword, all in attempt to get to her. But they had to make it through her dragon mother first. Maleficent met them head on, cracking ribs with a single punch, throwing them with brute force when they tried to jump on her. No matter how much damage she dealt, they didn't seem to feel a thing. They just kept coming and coming no matter how hard she beat them back.

Zelena noticed one she had managed to kill near her shield. His neck had been snapped and he hadn't gotten back up. She ducked her head again. "The head, Mommy! Aim for the head and the neck!" She called, covering her own as the mangled men tried to pry up her shield.

Maleficent whipped out her staff and used it to bash in head after head and fired a blast of magic at Zelena. It bounced off her shield and incinerated the men trying to get to her. The dragon surveyed the area, looking for any more threats. Finding none she did a quick sweep of the remaining bodies and making sure they were dead before letting Zelena out.

"Who were they?" Zelena asked, quickly latching onto her leg.

"Not anyone good." Mal motioned her back with her staff and bent on one knee to examine one of the bodies. Never in all her years had she seen someone fight with such abandonment for their own lives. These men, all peasants and farmers by their clothes, and non-natives to her land were practically on a suicide mission. She reached into the chest of one and found there was no heart within. She checked the others. No hearts.

"What is it?" Zelena asked.

"None of them have hearts, my dear." Mal answered. "Someone was controlling them, making them do this."

"But why?"

"I don't know, Little One. Come on." She crouched down and Zelena entered her arms so she could teleport them home. Ursula and Cruella were waiting for her. They panicked when they saw the blood on Maleficent's dress.

"Damn it, we're too late. Are you two okay?" Ursula demanded.

"Yes." Mal sighed. "I'm gonna take Zelena to bed."

"Let us do that, dahling, while you take a bath and relax." Cruella said.

"No, I wanna stay with you, Mommy." Zelena yelled, refusing to let go of Mal's arm. She looked around fearfully. "What if they come back?"

"We'll patrol." The other Queens offered. "No one is going to hurt you, little jewel."

Mal decided to just clean them with magic and almost collapsed onto her bed. Zelena was quick to curl into her side and was silent for a little while. Mal noticed her daughter was shaking and was quick to wrap her arms around her protectively. "It's alright, Z."

"They attacked me." Zelena whispered. "That thing tried to rip me apart." She whimpered, starting to cry. Mal kissed the top of her head and stroked her head. "I was good, Mommy, I swear. I did everything you told me to. I even stopped playing the other day when you told me to. I didn't do any bad things. Maybe I pushed someone into the lake, but they could swim. Is that bad? Is that why they attacked me?"

"No, dear. Someone heartless did this. To attack a child-"

"Not a child. Me. They attacked **me**." Zelena corrected, looking up at her. "Why?"

"Because of who you are." Mal answered. "Because of what you can do, but rest assured they will get what's coming to them for this. I promise. Dry those tears, my dragonling, and get some sleep, okay?" Zelena nodded. Mal didn't think she would go to sleep at all after their evening ordeal, but she was soon knocked out and Mal took the opportunity to convene with Cruella and Ursula. "What do you mean you can't find her?!" The dragon roared, slamming a fist on her desk. "She tried to murder my baby!"

"We know." Ursula said in attempt to calm the irate mother. "We know, just relax. We'll keep looking."

"It's one woman, dahling. It'll be difficult to find one woman in the midst of thousands." Cruella added.

Maleficent took a deep breath and went to retrieve something from her vault. It was a blanket. "Use this."

"What is it?" Ursula picked up the cloth with a tentacle and examined it.

"It's the blanket I found Zelena wrapped in. Use a locator spell. Report back to me when you find this woman and **do not** engage her. She's powerful and I believe she has an army of people at her command. People whose hearts she controls and who she imbued with the power to never feel pain. They're difficult to kill." Her friends nodded and departed to do her work. Mal returned to her bedroom and laid down with Zelena again. She kissed her daughter's head again. "No one is ever going to hurt you, my dear. No one. I promise."

/

"You failed." Cora hissed, standing in her private study in front of the fireplace. The Shadow was near the window, floating just above the expensive red carpet.

" **You failed** to inform me the child had a dragon protecting her. I was not going to die to fulfill your desires." It growled.

"That girl could cost me everything. Now try again."

"No, find someone else." It turned and flew out of the window before she could say anything else.

Cora scowled and kicked over a nearby chair. "Damn it. Zelena could destroy all of my plans if she finds out about Regina. I need someone else, someone stronger, someone braver." Her plan had been foolproof. The Shadow, combined with her heartless men should've been able to pull off the assassination, but she had underestimated Maleficent's strength and had given up the element of surprise. She needed a new plan. She walked up to a nearby mirror and cast a spell. Within moments the shadowy scaled face of Rumpelstiltskin appeared.

"Cora. Long time no see, dearie. To what do I owe the pleasure?" the Dark One asked.

"I lied, Rumple." Cora said. "About the contract and our firstborn. I used magic to conceal it so you wouldn't know. We **do** have a child together." She admitted.

"What? Regina is my daughter?"

"No, not Regina. My other daughter. Her name is Zelena and she is in the clutches of the Great Beast. The Dragon Queen has our daughter."

"How did she get her?" Rumple hissed. His tone suggested that he was wary of this conversation, not quite wanting to believe Cora after the last time they had been together and she had tricked him.

"She was taken." Cora replied. "I sent the Shadow and some of my soldiers to bring her back and bring her home, but the dragon murdered them all and sent me back the heads." Every ounce of wit and deceit she knew, the heartless mother used at this very moment. Rumpelstiltskin was unlikely to believe her, but at least he'd been intrigued and if he did find Zelena satisfactory to her words, he could kill Maleficent, freeing up a way for Cora to take out her eldest daughter directly afterwards. Hopefully soon. She couldn't have Zelena growing up and unlocking her full power.

"Why tell me?" Rumple asked.

"Because I want that dragon to pay. I want...her heart."

Neither one of the plotting partners noticed the little figure peeking into the doorway. Regina tilted her head as she listened. She dashed back to her room before her mother could discover her and grabbed a piece of paper and a quill to write down two words so she wouldn't forget. **Zelena and sister**.

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	3. Chapter 3

Maleficent gave a strong flap of her wings, soaring over her kingdom and seeing all that she commanded. She roared and dove upon seeing the little black figure streaking across the meadow. A now 10 year old Zelena was spurring her pet unicorn across the field in attempt to reach the other end before her mother. Maleficent let out a purr of amusement before diving towards her little one. Zelena looked up at her and smiled, trying to get Aiden, her noble steed, to go even faster. Although she had to know that no unicorn was faster than a dragon in flight. She made it to the other end before Zelena and landed with a thud to face her.

"Ugh!" Zelena exclaimed with a smile. "One day, I'm gonna beat you."

Mal shook her head vigorously and leaned down for Zelena to touch her nose with her forehead. She straightened up and raised her wings, prepared to take off.

"Race you to the border!" Zelena said, already urging Aiden into a canter. She took off towards the border and Mal took to the skies, doing lazy loop de loops until Zelena had crossed the vast forest to the border and she dove again, crossing the distance twice as fast and landing again in front of her daughter before she reached her target. "I give up." She dismounted and hurried over to Mal as she shifted and nearly tackled her in a hug. "When will I be able to turn into a dragon?" She asked.

Mal smirked. "When you're ready."

"But I'm ready now. I can do it."

She ran her fingers through Zelena's hair at seeing her so crestfallen. She didn't have the heart to tell her that she would never be able to turn into a dragon, or that she wasn't a dragon at all. She was afraid Zelena would become angry or even hate her for filling her head with dreams she would never be able to reach. "All good things come to those who wait."

"Those who don't wait get them even faster." The redhead retorted. She looked out over the border where other kingdoms and other people lay. "Can we visit the other places some day?"

"Absolutely. Are you bored with our domain already?" Mal asked. Zelena and her naughty group of friends had probably already explored every inch of the land. They were always up to something wicked or getting into trouble.

"No, but there are lots of people out there." Zelena said. "Lots of new friends to make...and new food to eat." She smirked. "New prey to hunt." Mal rolled her eyes at her daughter. "Fine. Food won't work anymore." She raised her hands in defeat.

Maleficent thought for a moment. "Every year King Midas holds a tourney and a ball to gather allies and vassals. I haven't attended in years. Perhaps this year I should." She smirked when a grin spread across Zelena's face. "You're right. There is much of the world you deserve to see and experience. But don't be fooled by the beauty and grandeur. Snakes are everywhere at those places."

"You mean wolves?"

"Yes, wolves. People with black hearts and dark thoughts. They'd love to prey on a pretty thing like you."

Zelena scoffed. "I'm a dragon. We don't fear anything."

Mal grinned and picked the girl up, throwing her over her shoulder. "No, we do not. Come on then. We should get you a dress made." she teleported back home and sent word to her valets to bring them the finest cloths and silks from across the land and brought the best seamstresses all the money in her vault could buy. She couldn't resist smiling as Zelena was measured and several fabrics laid across her shoulders to see which would go best with her skin tone and hair. The ball was not for another week but every minute of that week was used to pamper Zelena to the utmost degree. Her hair was washed with the finest shampoos, her nails perfectly filed and painted, eyebrows and eyelashes plucked and waxed. On the day of and Zelena stepped out of her room, Mal's jaw literally dropped. Zelena was beautiful. She wore a black and green dress that was imbedded and inlaid with jades and emeralds. Her hair, which was normally kept straight or held back in a ponytail, was now brushed and glossy, falling about her shoulders in lush waves. A little makeup had been added to her eyes to accentuate her striking cerulean blue eyes and on her feet were handcrafted ruby slippers. "My dear, you're glowing."

Zelena turned bright red. "Thank you. Is it too much?"

"For any other 10 year old, perhaps. Not for a dragonling."

"Now you get ready. I want to see you." Zelena said excitedly. Maleficent smiled as she did as commanded, returning dressed in an elegant black gown with a long slit on one side to show off her legs. Tall black stilettos adorned her feet and diamonds were draped on her neck as well as a belt of the exquisite gems around her waist. She straightened her hair and let it flow straight down, as well as put on makeup. Zelena's eyes went wide when she stepped out. "You look amazing!"

"Thank you, dear." Mal smiled. "Now come, we have a long ride ahead of us."

"We have to ride all the way there?" Zelena asked, bouncing around her as they walked downstairs to the courtyard where a green and gold carriage awaited them, drawn by a dozen black stallions with Aidan at the head. An escort opened the door for them. Just before he closed it a brown shape flew inside, landing on Zelena's shoulder.

"Must you bring the monkey?" Mal asked, lifting an unamused eyebrow at seeing the thing wearing a bejeweled collar that matched Zelena's dress. Zelena only smiled hopefully and she sighed. "Fine. Keep him out of trouble."

"Yes ma'am." Zelena smirked. "How long will it take us to get there?"

"10 seconds." Mal teleported them to the entrance of King Midas' castle where the carriages of other royal patrons were arriving in style. Zelena leaned out the window and took in the sight of the massive golden castle as they rode through the gates. Streamers and confetti covered the dark streets, fiery sparkles were fired into the air, people danced on the sidewalks. It was a magical affair. Tonight was the ball and tomorrow the tourney. The ballroom was golden and gorgeous, one of the grandest spectacles of the year. "Stay close to me, Zelena." Mal commanded softly. Zelena nodded, taking her hand as they walked.

"Wow!" Zelena yelled as they entered the room...attracting the attention of everyone in the room. She turned bright red and tried to duck behind Mal. The dragon merely chuckled.

"Maleficent." Midas himself was the first to greet them. "It has been far too long since a dragon walked these halls."

"Midas. It is spectacular." Mal looked around.

Midas looked at Zelena. "And who is this?"

"My daughter. Princess Zelena." Mal gave her a gentle gesture to step forward. Zelena took a deep breath and stepped forward, lifting her chin.

Midas bowed deeply at the waist. "A pleasure, princess."

"The pleasure is mine, your majesty." Zelena curtsied and immediately looked at Mal to see if she'd done that right. She nodded and Zelena beamed proudly.

"Maleficent, while you are here, we should discuss forming a new alliance. A dragon such as yourself would be a powerful ally to have." Midas continued.

"Undoubtedly so, but I am merely here to enjoy the festivities with my little dragonling. Such talk can be saved for another time." She dipped her head and moved off to follow Zelena to the table of desserts.

"Mom, can I have some?" She asked.

"We are at a ball. Live it up a bit." She grinned. Zelena quickly picked up a piece of chocolate cake and bit into it.

"Midas seems nice." the little one commented.

Mal lead her over to a table and sat down, accepting a glass of wine from a servant. "Just because he can turn things into gold doesn't mean he has a heart of one. Midas is a shrewd politician with money to do anything he pleases. Look around you, my dear." she discreetly pointed out the famous people around them. "That man is King George. They call him the Lion King. He was one of the best swordsmen around. Him there, that's King Xavier, the Horsemaster. His cavalry is undefeated. King Fergus is the one with the red hair. A mighty chieftain. The men may seem unstoppable, or they were in their prime, but it is their wives who dabble in the darkness to help their husbands succeed." She nodded to a servant as he placed another slice of cake in front of Zelena. She picked up a knife and held it out to her daughter. "When men tremble, it is the woman's hands that hold steady. Everyone here is dangerous. Even their words can be weapons."

"Like wolves in very pretty clothing…" Zelena whispered.

"Yes, and don't whisper. It looks suspicious."

"But all of them aren't wolves." Zelena continued softly. "Some of us are dragons."

Mal smirked. "That is your go-to phrase isn't it?" Zelena grinned and nodded and the dragon wiped her mouth of the chocolate. "Eat some food next. Or go talk to the noble children over there. No more sweets. I'll be back in a moment." Mal stood up and made her way up a small staircase nearby where a few other people were talking. It gave her a vantage point over the room and she could see Zelena clearly, as well as any dangers. Zelena's mother could be among them. Even her father for all the dragon knew. If only Cruella and Ursula hadn't lost the blanket while they were following it, then she wouldn't be as worried. More attempts to kill Zelena had occurred over the years although Zelena herself knew nothing about them. Maleficent had enchanted the borders of her kingdom to alert her whenever anyone crossed, whether they were flying, on horseback or creeping across in the dead of night. No one had come as close as the Shadow and the heartless minions. Still, even with Zelena's love and innocence, Mal did not trust any humans besides Zelena and the other Queens of Darkness. Everyone below her were ants to be stepped on or wolves that would prey on her as soon as she showed weakness. Dealing with humans almost destroyed her once, but it had only taken one to build herself back up again. Her eyes found Zelena, talking to a group of other noble children. She smiled when she recognized the look of annoyance on her daughter's face. It was a look she knew all too well and one Zelena was very bad at hiding. More than likely she would end up saying something rude or sarcastic and move on to something more interesting. Zelena hated to waste time, although she could be as patient as any predator when she wanted to be. Her daughter was truly one of a kind, and she couldn't be more proud.

"I never knew you had a child, Maleficent." Mal turned around to face King Leopold and Queen Eva. Gods, everyone was getting old.

"She was an unexpected gift." she eventually replied, glancing back down as Prince Henry and his wife arrived. A little figure was trying to hide behind them. She knew Prince Henry from his youth. He seemed a gentle soul, kind whenever they met. His wife she did not know and had no intention of knowing. The music suddenly changed and she made her way downstairs to find Zelena.

Zelena was busy stealing a cookie off the dessert table when she was approached by a pretty brunette girl a little younger than she was. "Can I help you?"

"Is this your first ball?" she seemed incredibly nervous and clearly wanted some of the delectable sweets.

Zelena nodded and picked up a plate to put some of the sweets on. "Here, eat some."

"Mother says I can't have any sweets tonight. I missed my lessons this morning."

Zelena scoffed. "What _mother_ doesn't know won't hurt her." The girl picked up a cookie and bit into it gently. Zelena frowned. "Just eat it. You don't have to try to be cute. See?" She picked up a cookie and bit into the middle of it. The girl grinned and bit into the cookie hard, smearing her cheeks with chocolate. Zelena smirked and cleaned her with a bit of magic. "What's your name?"

"Regina."

"I'm Z-"

"Zelena." Maleficent said as she approached, dipping her head to Regina. "Care to dance?" Zelena quickly nodded and put down the sweets, taking Mal's hand. "What did I say about sweets?" Neither one noticed the awestruck look on Regina's face. Mal walked her daughter around the dance floor, clearing it of people just so she could dance with Zelena. Lost in their world they were unaware of the eyes following them a bit too closely. Cora had seen them, as well as Rumpelstiltskin, a reluctantly invited guest of the evening. Little Regina was staring. She had talked to her sister! The one her mother tried to hide. Was that Maleficent? The dragon queen who took her sister? She didn't seem mean.

A few minutes later a servant interrupted Maleficent's dance with Zelena. The dragon turned with fire in her eyes, fully prepared to roast the stupid man...when he stabbed her in the stomach. He wrenched the dagger out and stabbed her in the chest, breaking it off at the hilt. He tried to move away, but even in pain and in shock, the dragon managed to grab him and snap his neck.

"Mommy!" Zelena screamed at seeing the blood starting to pour out of Mal's chest.

"Z-Zelena. .." Mal tried to pull out the blade as people came running over to see what happened. That's when the smoke started to fill up the room, obscuring the vision of everyone in attendance. She reached for Zelena, to make sure she was still near. The sword came flying out of nowhere, hitting her straight in the back. She collapsed to her heads and knees, panting, struggling to breathe. The screams of the partygoers were starting to drown out everything else.

"Mommy, I can save you. I can heal you." Zelena said, taking hold of the sword to pull it out. She wasn't strong enough. "No. No, no, no, Mommy! Get up. Please."

"Run." Mal whispered. "RUN!" She roared. She didn't know what was going on but she had to make sure Zelena was safe. If she could get the swords out she might be able to heal herself.

Zelena looked around for a way out. A screeching Chistery landed on her shoulder and pulled her on her dress but before she could run, a rough hand grabbed hers and she was nearly dragged off her feet. Chistery bit at the scaly hand and was grabbed because of it and thrown somewhere in the smoke. The person was running too fast. They slammed into a small form and Zelena was released and looked up into the eyes of Regina. She rubbed her shoulder from where the kidnapper had hit her. She grabbed Zelena and pulled her through the smoke. They came out near the carriages.

"Stop!" Zelena snapped, yanking her arm away from the strange little girl. "Thanks for your help but I'm not leaving without my mom."

"She's not your mother." Regina said. "That man was your father. And I'm your sister."

"Right. And that horse over there is my uncle."

"You're in danger, Zelena. Please." Regina pleaded.

"Regina!" It was Cora, searching for her wayward daughter.

Zelena frowned at seeing the fear in Regina's eyes. She grabbed her and made for her mother's carriage. She switched the colors with a nearby carriage so no one would realize they were gone. "Circle the city twice. I'm not leaving without Mommy." She commanded the driver. The man nodded and cracked the whip.

Within the smoky ballroom Rumple was trying to find his lost daughter. His smoke was starting to hinder rather than help his plan. Everything was going perfectly until now. He waved his hands, removing the smoke just in time for him to see the butt of the staff before it slammed into his face. Maleficent used the staff as support as she limped over to Chistery and picked up the whimpering little creature. She healed him and placed him on her shoulder as she turned around to face Rumpelstiltskin again. The Dark One was unconscious and besides Mal, was the only person still in the ballroom.

"Wake up you bastard!" She fired a bolt of electricity from her staff, shocking him awake. "Where is my daughter?!" The dragon mother was in pain, enraged and ready to taste blood. She let out a grunt of pain as she reached behind her and ripped out the sword. She magically drew out the blade in her chest and her dragon blood and its regenerative properties immediately began healing her wounds. "Explain yourself, Dark One." Maleficent walked up to him and placed the orb of her staff against his chest. "I can't kill you but I can maime you and make sure that you live in excruciating pain for the rest of your miserable, unending life. Now...answer me."

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	4. Chapter 4

Zelena looked over at Regina, curled into a little ball in the corner of the seat. The little redhead arched an eyebrow curiously. It would seem that she hadn't gotten a good night's sleep in a while. "Regina. Wake up." she said, giving her shoulder and push.

Regina almost shot up. "I'm awake, Mother." It took her a moment to realize that Cora was nowhere near and she was safe. The carriage was once again in front of Midas' castle and Zelena was prepared to exit. Regina was quick to follow at her heels. "Do you really think it's wise to go back to the place that you were almost kidnapped from?"

"No, but Mommy won't leave without me."

"Daddy won't either."

The two walked back inside the ballroom and found Maleficent angrily pacing the golden room. "Mommy!" Mal turned around, her agitation and rage dissipating in an instant. She welcomed her daughter into her arms and picked her up, almost crushing her to her chest. "Are you okay, Mommy?"

"I'm fine, dear. Are you?"

Zelena nodded as she was placed back on the ground. Mal turned her attention to Regina. "This is Regina." Zelena introduced. "She stopped the kidnapper from taking me."

"Thank you-"

"Zelena is my sister." Regina said. Zelena rolled her eyes.

"How do you know this, Child?" Mal asked, kneeling in front of the little girl.

"Because Mommy said she was. I heard her talking to the ugly man in the mirror."

"That ugly man?" Mal pointed at Rumple. Regina nodded. Mal sighed. "We must go." She picked up her staff and turned to leave but Zelena stopped her.

"She needs help, Mommy. Her mother is very mean to her. She's afraid of her." Zelena looked back at the pitiful little girl as she dutifully took a seat among the carnage to await her mother's return. The poor thing was trembling and obviously scared for her life. At that point Mal wasn't sure if was just that she was alone or because she had to face her mother's wrath for running. "Can't we help her?"

"I can't just take her with us, Zelena. You know that." Maleficent said. She looked around, flinching slightly when Regina suddenly screamed and ran to one of the bodies on the ground. It was a man with short graying hair and wearing a noble's doublet. The dragon helped her wake up her father. "What is your name?"

"H-Henry. What happened?" He felt of his head that had a streak of blood on it. Mal healed his wound and helped him to his feet. She sent Regina and Zelena to help the other people who had passed out from the smoke before turning to Prince Henry again. "Listen to me carefully, Prince Henry. Has Cora ever laid a hand on your daughter?" Henry swallowed and looked around nervously. "Are you afraid of her?"

"She...is an evil woman."

Maleficent nodded. "Then you're coming with me. Consider it a little vacation."

"And for when we have to go home?" Henry hissed, looking around again. "I can't protect Regina. Not against **her**."

"We can cross that bridge when we come to it. Now, will you come?" She glanced back at Zelena and Regina. Regina seemed to know the truth about Zelena and the last thing she wanted was this little girl telling Zelena about who she was before Mal was ready. Henry ultimately nodded and she lead them out to the carriages and into theirs. Chistery flew in through the window to land on Zelena's shoulder and affectionately nuzzled her shoulder. Mal made a mental note to reward the little thing later for his heroic efforts to save Zelena. Poor thing had ended up with a broken back after getting thrown by Rumple. Her uneasiness melted away however as they crossed the border into her territory. She had to carry Zelena and Regina to the bedroom and even then she couldn't rest. She sent guards to watch all perimeters of the castle for the night and had a few posted outside Henry and Regina's door. With that done, she sent a raven to Cruella and Ursula, telling them to find out all they could about this Cora Mills.

/

"You failed!" Cora hissed, kicking Rumple hard in the gut. The Dark One was on his feet in an instant, a scaled hand curled tightly around her throat. "She has my daughter and my husband. She took them because you failed!"

"Shut up, Cora!" Rumple snapped, tossing across the ballroom. Any moment now Midas will send his armies in to secure the area and he didn't have much time before he would be possibly be thrown out. The Dark One would undoubtedly become the scapegoat for this. Even if he did do it. He needed another plan but first… "Why do you want the girl so badly?" He inquired. "It isn't like you actually care about their well being."

"They're my children." Cora replied. "Of course I do."

Rumple scoffed. "And you're sure Zelena is my daughter?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

The Dark One shrugged and looked up as the golden clad guards of Midas started swarming into the room. He teleported away to the safety of his castle to come up with a new plan.

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Maleficent rolled her shoulders, standing on her balcony and overlooking the town below. Zelena, Regina and their friends were playing with some kind of ball, racing through the streets and getting underfoot. Prince Henry was still sleeping. The prince nor his daughter seemed to be sleeping well. However, Regina still managed to get up at the crack of dawn and go playing with Zelena. Mal had asked Regina early that morning to hold back on the 'sister' talk. Tonight she was going to tell Zelena. It might break her heart but her daughter deserved to know where she truly came from and exactly why she has been targeted. The dragon's hands were trembling just at the thought of Zelena turning from her because she had lied all this time.

"The little one loves you." Ursula said, coming to her side. "Nothing is going to change that."

Mal snorted. "I've lied to her her entire life."

"No, you didn't. She is your daughter, your little dragonling. You can always come up with a spell to turn her into a dragon. Nothing has to change."

"She won't ever look at me the same way again." Mal said softly. Ursula sighed and gave her hug from behind. She tried to stroke Mal's arm with one of her tentacles, but the dragon smacked it away.

"You worry too much, Dragon." Ursula departed and Mal remained where she was, watching Zelena and Regina have the time of their lives. They were so happy. And Regina, the poor thing, didn't seem to have ever had anyone invested in her well being. The little girl had almost cried when Mal complimented her on one of the little pictures she had drawn during breakfast. That afternoon Mal planned to take them to the forest to the north and show her the unicorn herds that lived there, perhaps even let her ride one. Then Mal would prepare a picnic and as the sun would set she would send Regina back to the castle so she could speak to her little dragonling alone. She hoped things would go as well as she pictured in her head.

/

It was such a beautiful evening. Mal looked down at the flower covered meadow below and the lightning bugs blanketing the red plants with lights. Zelena was at her side, watching in fascination. They were alone now and Mal was dreading telling Zelena the truth. Her daughter seemed to pick up on her uneasiness.

"Mommy, are you okay?" She asked, looking at the blonde in concern.

"No, my dear, there is something I have to tell you. I'm afraid you won't like it." Mal admitted. Zelena frowned slightly, looking up at her, her pretty blue eyes full of worry and confusion. "Regina claimed that you were her sister. She's...right."

"What?"

Mal sighed. "I didn't give birth to you. I'm not your mother by blood. Cora is." Zelena's face fell and she looked down.

"I'm not a dragon?" She asked softly.

"No, my dear, but it changes nothing. I promise. I'll try to find a spell to change you into a dragon if you want. I still love you, Zelena and I will never stop. You are my daughter, my little dragonling."

"So...Cora...my mother, is the one attacking me?"

Mal nodded. "I'm sorry, my dear." She looked down at her child. Zelena refused to look at her. "I should've told you sooner. But Regina knows for some reason and I didn't want you to hear something so personal from a stranger." She paused to gauge the little redhead's reaction but there was none. "Zelena-"

"Can you take me back to the castle now?" Zelena asked softly.

"O-of course." Her words hurt Mal more than even she understood. "The castle." What happened to "home"? The dragon teleported them into Zelena's room and her little girl climbed into bed and curled up, facing the wall and away from her blonde mother. Mal bit her lip, willing the tears not to fall, as she left the room. She waited until she was within the comforts of her own bed before she burst into tears, feeling as though she had lost the one thing that mattered.

/

It was very late when Regina crawled out of bed. She yawned, rolled out of the soft purple bed and made her way down the hall to Zelena's room. The older girl had let her sleep there the night before, and Regina liked Zelena. Very much. In fact, she loved her. Zelena was her sister and to her young mind, sisters were supposed to love each other. It only made perfect sense.

Zelena didn't stir when Regina peeked into the room. She walked in and closed the door. "Zelena? Sis?"

"Go away." Zelena snapped without turning around. "Go home."

Regina frowned. "Are you mad at me?"

"Everything was fine before we met and you came here." Zelena looked over her shoulder. "You shouldn't have said anything." Then she could still believe that she was a dragon and Mal was her real mother. Her mind was racing with so many questions. Why didn't Cora want her? Why was she trying to kill her, more importantly? What did Zelena ever do to her?

"But you're my sister. It took me so long to find you." Regina walked to the edge of the bed and touched Zelena's arm, but her hand was knocked away.

"Go away. Go home." Zelena hissed. "I don't want a sister. I just want my mommy." She sat up when she heard a sniff and looked down at Regina. The little brunette had unshed tears in her eyes, but she wasn't crying. "What was that?" Regina looked around, looking confused. Zelena leaped out of bed and threw open her door, catching Mal as she walked back into her bedroom. She took off after her and ran into her room as the dragon sat down on the bed. The sight of the dragon made Zelena's stomach twist. Her mother's eyes were red and puffy from crying, her skin blotchy and she looked just...defeated. Her cheeks were still wet from her tears and Zelena knew instantly that she didn't ever want her mother to cry again. "Mommy?" Mal looked up, quickly to adjust her appearance but her daughter had seen all she needed to see. She ran into Mal's arms and hugged her, sinking into the dragon's warmth, soaking it in and relishing the feeling. "I'm so sorry."

"Me too, Zelena." Mal whispered, holding her daughter close. "You do know you are my daughter, yes? And that no one is ever going to hurt you or take you from me?"

"Yes, I'm sorry. I just thought that…" She looked down, trying to put her feelings into words, but she didn't know them.

"It's okay, Zelena. It's more than okay. Just don't ever doubt how much I love you. I would do anything for you." Mal pulled her away to look her in the eyes. "Anything."

"Even...turn me into a dragon?" Zelena asked.

"Whatever your little heart desires and it is within my power to give. I'll begin work to make a potion to turn you into a dragon in no time." The smile that lit up Zelena's face broke her heart and mended it back together again in seconds. Mal started crying again.

"No. No, please, no. Don't cry, Mommy. You'll make me cry." Zelena said, wiping her eyes for her. Mal purred and kissed Zelena's forehead.

"You are what I am most proud of, Zelena." Mal kissed her again. "I need you to know that."

"I do, I just...wish I didn't know the truth. Why is she trying to hurt me? What did I do?"

Mal wrapped her arms around her child and pulled her close. "It doesn't matter. She'll never hurt you. Not while I'm here."

"Is the alligator man my father?" Zelena whispered into Mal's hair.

"I highly doubt it. Cora is most likely just using him. But if he is, it doesn't matter either. You are **my** daughter. Mine and mine alone."

Mother and daughter held each other tightly throughout the night, sharing each other's warmth and silently comforting the other. The next morning Zelena felt very badly about how mean she was to Regina. She found the girl sitting in the garden, drawing on a scroll. She glanced up fearfully at Zelena and quickly looked down, trying not to cry again. The little girl had no one. Her mother was heartless and mean and cruel and all Regina wanted was a little affection. Zelena had never had a sister before. Quite frankly she didn't truly consider them family, but they could at least be friends.

"Regina?" Zelena sat down in front of her.

"Daddy says we can leave at sundown." Regina said curtly. "You were right. i shouldn't have-"

Zelena pulled the little brunette into her arms and hugged her. "I'm sorry for snapping at you." She was only a little kid after all. A little kid who wanted nothing more than a real family. Not a broken one or one she and her father were practically slaves to her mother. She deserved better, but Mal had already explained that she couldn't simply take Regina away from Cora. The dragon's hands were tied.

Regina hugged her back even tighter. "I'm scared, Zelena."

"You don't have to be scared. You're hanging with dragons now. You won't have to be scared again. Not ever." Zelena helped her stand. "Let's find a way to keep you safe, okay?" Regina nodded eagerly, and followed the young witch back into the castle where Maleficent and Prince Henry were writing out a document.

"What's that?" Regina asked.

Henry looked up and smiled. "A way to keep your mother away from us."

"It's a wish to have a marriage annulled." Mal explained. "It can be signed by any royal family member, meaning myself, and it will allow you both to stay within my borders. Cora will never hurt you again." She promised.

"Will it work?" Zelena asked.

"It must. Besides, it isn't as if she can just come here and take them. According to the rest of Henry's royal family, he and Regina are on vacation for the time being so that gives us plenty of time to come up with different options."

"What about the alligator man?" Zelena asked.

Mal smirked. "I will deal with him myself. Now, run along, go play. Let the adults scheme and conspire."

"Okay Mommy." Zelena beamed, taking Regina's hand and racing out of the room.

Henry's smile faded at once. "It's not going to be that easy, is it?"

"No." Mal growled. "Cora has worked too hard to get to where she is and she isn't going to let her chance at royalty go. She must have a plan for Regina if she's so desperate to get her back. She's been trying to cross the borders all morning. My guards are keeping her at bay. If the Dark One shows his face, they'll break through and you will have to get the girls down into my vault as quickly as you can. I won't lose my daughter."

/

Cora was livid as she teleported home and proceeded to trash the estate from top to bottom. She scowled as she grabbed the book of assassins again and prepared to call each and every one of them. The Dragon Queen won't get away this time…

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	5. Chapter 5

The attack came at full force. Maleficent did not hesitate. Not once did she think about her own safety. Not once she did she think about her kingdom. Her thoughts were rooted on protecting her child. She was backed up by almost 10,000 of her best soldiers. They attacked at her side against a mercenary army that decided to wage war against the Dragon Queen. She had to turn and grab a few assassins as they slipped through, but she held the border. Against any and all threats, she would fight to protect her little girl.

Meanwhile, in the castle, Henry lead Regina and Zelena into the bowels of Maleficent's mountain vault. If anything should happen, he had already been told that he needed to stay alive. To protect the girls. To care for them. If anyone made it through then it most likely meant that Maleficent had been defeated. He silently prayed it wouldn't come to that.

"We should be out there helping her fight." Zelena said, pausing to look back at the dark tunnel they had just walked down.

"Your mother gave us explicit instructions to keep going." Henry reminded her. "Now come. We have to hurry."

Zelena reluctantly followed when Regina took her hand and pulled her after Prince Henry. Not even she had been this deep into Mal's vault. But she did know there were several escape tunnels and exits. Also some hidden chambers in case they needed to hide.

Henry looked down at the map in his hands before making several turns and finding himself outside a large stone door. He handed the map and his torch to Regina and Zelena and pushed it open. Inside, was a large room with an already burning fireplace in it. There were cots and crates of food and supplies. "Come on, children. We can use this room until Maleficent comes for us."

"There were a lot of people she has to fight." Regina said softly.

"So?!" Zelena snapped. "She'll be fine." The room suddenly shook and dust sprinkled them from above. "She'll be alright. She has to be."

"Everything will be alright." Henry tried to assure her. In his heart, he was deathly afraid. If Cora managed to get through, he knew she would punish Regina in the worst of ways. Him too, but he hardly cared about himself anymore. His little girl was all that mattered to him.

/

By the time Maleficent had fought off the army of assassins and mercenaries, she was exhausted and bleeding from multiple cuts, was covered in bruises and was missing dozens of scales. One of her horns was even cracked from where she'd used it to deflect a harsh burst of magic from a spellcaster. She was missing about 4 out of 10 claws and the ones that she still had very broken and cracked. But the dragon did not rest. Not yet. She teleported down into her vault, searching the maze of tunnels and chambers until she found the one where Zelena's scent was strongest. Inside, she found her little girl laying on the floor. Henry and Regina were nowhere to be found. "No. No, no, no." She went and crouched next to Zelena's form and felt the magic radiating from her chest. This wasn't her child… "What is this?"

"It is what needed to be done." The dragon turned around to face the blue clad fairy in the doorway.

"What have you done?"

"I sent her away. To protect the world."

"What? How dare you?!"

The fairy floated forward and waved her hand. Zelena dissolved into blue sparkles, leaving the room dull and dark. "I did it to protect the world from a monster."

"You mean me? Because I'm a dragon? She was my daughter! You honestly think i give a shit about anyone else in this world?" Maleficent snarled, deep in her throat. The dragon fire wanted to burst open her chest and drown this insolent fool in its fiery embrace. She felt that old darkness return in an instant, the Great Beast reawakened.

"No." The blue fairy answered. "The monster she would have become if you had failed. I could not take the chance. You know her power. If you had died, her heart would have been broken, never to be mended again."

"Where did you send my daughter?" Maleficent demanded.

"I know this is tough for you, but fairies are charged with protecting our world. I could not wait for her to become an adult, a menace with power greater than comprehension."

"You want to protect innocents so badly, where were you when Regina was getting abused? Huh?! I talked to her, she called to you. Her cries went unheeded and her pain continued. She's just a little girl, just like Zelena. Fairies…" She laughed sadly and looked down at the place where the illusion of her daughter had been moments before. "When will people learn?" She said softly.

"What?" The blue fairy asked.

Mal teleported across the room and grabbed her by the throat. "That you don't fuck with the Dragon Queen."

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It took all of Regina's effort to sit up in her bed. Weak, tired, hungry and bruised, it was a struggle. Her mother was not very happy when she found them. The last few hours was nothing but a blur of pain and screaming and pleading for forgiveness. She didn't even know if her father was alive. She just knew that she wanted to crawl into a little ball and cry. She missed Maleficent and she missed Zelena.

Regina slowly moved to the edge of the bed and placed her feet on the cold wood. She stood up, holding in her breath. Her leg gave out when she put weight on it and she hit the ground and went still. After a few moments she crawled to the door and pulled it open as carefully as she dared. She didn't want to wake her mother. The house was silent and she tried to keep it that way as she crawled and limped to her mother's room for one thing. A thing her mother didn't know she knew about. It was the only thing that Maleficent said would save them if things went bad.

Cora looked so peaceful as she slept. She didn't look like an evil mother then. But she was. Regina scowled angrily and crawled under the bed. Under it, was a loose board. She scraped around the edge of it with her nails, finding the perfect purchase for her to get a good hold of it. When she pulled it, she knew it would wake her mother. She took a deep breath and tried to slide her hand under it as quickly as possible and pulled it up with an audible snap. She heard Cora sit up. She quickly got up and Regina hurriedly pulled up more of the board to grab the small golden box inside. Cora pulled Regina out from under the bed just as she pulled out the glowing red heart.

"Regina, what are you doing?" Cora demanded.

"B-back up!" Regina said, hating how weak her voice sounded. It made her think of Maleficent scolding her on it. Regina wasn't a commanding girl, but the dragon told her that when she needed to speak, she needed to make sure she was heard and her words were believed. _When a dragon roars, you have no choice but to listen._ "Get back!" She shouted. Cora took a small step back.

"You have no idea what you are doing."

"Yes, I do. Maleficent taught me. She told me exactly who I was dealing with. You're a terrible mother, you're mean and you hurt me and I didn't do anything." Regina said. She kept a firm hand on the heart as she pulled herself to her feet and leaned against the bed. "Bring me Daddy. Now!" Cora waved her hand and Henry appeared in front of her, laying on the floor. Beaten and bloodied. "Pack our things for us, and our horses and send it all to Maleficent's castle, then send us there too."

"Regina, stop this." Cora commanded, even as she was forced to obey. "Please-"

"No." Regina scowled. All of them appeared in Maleficent's study, where the dragon was looking at the boxes and horses on her desks in confusion. "Heal us." She commanded. Maleficent teleported their things away and made the horses disappear, watching the scene with interest, but choosing not to interfere. Cora cast a healing spell over her daughter and husband. Regina took a deep breath as her pain was alleviated and she walked over to Maleficent and handed the heart to her. "For Zelena."

Maleficent nodded and waved her hand over the heart. It glowed green for a moment before returning to normal. She conjured a little pouch to put it in and handed it to Henry when Regina helped him up. "Hold this until I return with my daughter. She won't be able to put it back in her chest or even touch it." She glared at Cora and snapped her fingers, sending the woman out of her territory. She faced Regina and bent down to the little girl and patted her head. "There's a little dragon in you, isn't it?" Regina smiled. "It's over, dear. She will never hurt you again. This I swear to you." Regina nodded and trembled as Maleficent placed a kiss to the top of her head. "Now, unpack, make yourself at home, pick a guest room. I'm going to go attack and burn down the fairy realm, murder everyone inside it and I should be home soon, **with** Zelena."

Regina nodded again. "Thank you." The dragon dipped her head to her and did the same to Henry before striding off. Regina turned to her father and ran into his arms. He covered the top of her head in kisses and crushed her to his chest. "She said it's over, Daddy. Everything is going to be better now. We can stay here and I can be sisters with Zelena and we can go riding all day and I can make pictures for all of you! Maleficent said she liked my pictures." She said happily, already imagining how wonderful life would be, but she couldn't help wonder. "Is Mother going away forever?"

Henry sighed, his smile starting to fade a little. "Probably, yes."

Regina nodded slowly. "Good."

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